Background: Kaschenko was introduced to rock climbing by her father, an avid climber in Ukraine. She was 10 when her family moved to Toronto and, when she joined the Alpine Club of Canada, it was her first encounter with an indoor climbing gym.

She has since spent hundreds of hours scaling indoor walls in winter, and at Rattlesnake Point in Milton, or Bon Echo Park in Cloyne in warmer months. She still climbs with her dad but mostly it's with her friends and boyfriend – often at the Rock Oasis at Bathurst and Front Sts.

The benefits of beginning indoors are the equipment and lessons, including how to put on a harness, tie the safety rope and hold the rope for your partner, says Kaschenko.

Working in pairs, climbers first learn belaying, the operation of the rope-safety device. Later a climber learns how to lead – the first to ascend the rock. Being the lead also involves hooking the rope into the carabiner, the metal rings with a screw gate that attach to the bolts in the wall or rock face. The rope, and carabiner, are for security: if a climber slips, they only fall as far as the last carabiner. "After that you work on technique," says Kaschenko. Progress comes with time.

Training: Kaschenko is prepping for the outdoor season. She climbs twice a week and indoor sessions last about 2 1/2 hours. When outside with a group, they are gone for the day. While climbing can look like a total upper body work out, legs play a big part, says Kaschenko. "You do develop upper-body strength but you don't need it to start."

Routine: "I climb once or twice a week and stretching is included every time. You are always using random muscles. I run and bike during the week – the more over-all fitness you have, the easier it is to climb – this is my main strength-building activity ... I love it.

"I've been doing it for such a long time and I'm still improving. I'm learning new things every year."

Nutrition: "I always bring trail mix or something to the gym. I always leave the climbing gym starving. I drink lots of water – in the summer it gets really hot and you can dehydrate quickly.

What drives you: A lot of climbing is a mental challenge. It's a different type of sport – every single route is going to be different. That is what attracted me to it. It stimulates me," Kaschenko says. "Climbing is a big part of summer for me. I do it almost every weekend. It's a nice way to get out of the city."

The Alpine Club of Canada, Toronto section: climbers.org.

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